News
Food for Living: Sow That Seed
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
The death of a seed is the burial of a forest – Dr. Myles Munroe
The journey of a thousand miles, they say, begins with a single step, in the right direction. Imagine driving a car with Global Positioning System (G.P.S) and you miss an exit. What do you think will happen? The GPS will automatically reroute you to another direction.
Imagine solving a mathematical problem and you have the wrong formula, you are likely to have the wrong answer. Imagine having a legal case and you have the wrong legal principle or issue; you are more than likely to lose the case.
The significance of this narrative is to show you the importance of having the right foundation in whatever endeavor you want to engage in. When you miss the first step, sometimes you don’t have a second chance. The same principle applies to plants, you can’t sow a seed and reap a stone. When you sow the right seed for an orange, you are bound to get an orange. Life simply gives you what you give it to it.
If you are desirous of making an impact in society, you must sow the seed of success, love, favor, discipline, courage, knowledge, etc.
Do you know a seed can mean investment. When we talk of a seed, it means several things to different people. A seed in the hand of a farmer means something different, a seed in the hand of an investor means something else, a seed in the hands of a believer who wants to give it to a pastor means something else, a seed for a volunteer means something else.
Sowing a good seed is one of the best things that can happen to anyone, especially if it’s a good seed that is sowed in fertile ground. Anything you want to do in life, you must endeavor to sow a seed. The sad reality about life is that most people are not willing to sow the seed of success. For instance, if you want to be a receiver you must be a giver, if you want to lead, you must learn to serve, if you want to be a great communicator, you must learn to listen well. If you want to be loved, you must appreciate people.
Most of the success that has been recorded in life came because of the seeds sowed. Martin Luther King Jnr sowed a seed of love and detest injustice. Success managers, employers, mentors etc. are reaping the fruits they sowed when they were employees. For instance, as an entrepreneur, you must learn the ropes of the business from a mentor, as a student, you must learn the art of internship and volunteering, as a child, you must sow the seed of respect and love to your parents to reap benefits of love and respect at our old age. It’s instructive to note that You see the financial seed you sow today may leave your hand, but it will never leave your life.
On a personal note, when I was in College, I once asked my late dad for money, and he told me if he gives me money, I will use it for school politics. I wasn’t comfortable with the response because that’s not the reality. I remember telling him, if I want to take extra money from him to run a personal business, I will do it and he will bless me not knowing, it’s side money. I told him, if I save him one naira, my children will save me two naira even if I am the richest man on earth, but if I take extra money from him, my children will take extra money from me even if I am as poor as a church rat.
The moral of this analysis is that you sow what you reap. If you take care of your parents, your children will take care of you. If you support your parents, your children will support you.
The question you need to ask yourself is what seed are you sowing for your future? Each and everyone of us have the seeds of greatness in us, but sometimes, we don’t activate the greatness. To understand how resourceful a seed is, when a seed is properly nurtured, it will yield the desired fruit. Do you know a seed that is properly nurtured can metamorphose into a tree, and the tree can metamorphose into a plantation. That’s how powerful a seed can be if properly sowed and nurtured.
If you have a desire to write a book, start a business, go to school, lead, etc., you must sow the seed today, and this seed can take several ways. It can take the form of sacrifice, patience, finance, etc. depending on the seed you want to sow. It’s instructive to note that the seed you sow today may leave your hand, but it will never leave your life. As a piece of advice, don’t delay in planting that seed, because the reward can come in years to come when you won’t even remember when you sowed it.
As moral advice, if you have a business, church, school, hospital, organization, family, etc., you must endeavor to seed the seed that will make the desired impact you want to see. That seed can serve as the cause or vision you want to represent to the world. Question: what seed are you willing to sow and what seed would you want to reap?
In conclusion, always remember, if you keep your seed, that is the most it will be, but if you will sow your seed, that is the least it will be. So, sow that seed today.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
The Nigeria Police have announced that their operatives have rescued Mrs Folasade Odumosu, the wife of a former Assistant Inspector General, Hakeem Odumosu, who was last Thursday, kidnapped at the entrance of her home in Arepo, Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noting that two of the kidnappers were killed while four others escaped without their weapons.
Adejobi said with the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged Odumosu’s abductors in a gun duel and neutralized the criminals in the swampy area of Ikorodu on Wednesday.
The police spokesman added that Mrs Odumosu is currently undergoing a medical evaluation and has since been reunited with her family.
The statement read, “In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu, where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons.”
Adejobi said the police operatives recovered N10m initially paid to the kidnappers, four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
He added, “The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibres, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, for the rescue operation.
He asserted that the Police Force is committed to safeguarding the citizens and combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens,” he added.
